Pakistan condemns 'unbated' killing of Kasmiri youth by Indian occupation forces

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the unabated extrajudicial killings of Kashmiri youth in acts of state terrorism perpetrated by Indian occupation forces, a statement from the Foreign Office said.

"The Indian occupation forces have martyred nine more Kashmiri youth during the last 24 hours in 'fake’ encounters and so-called ‘cordon-and-search’ operations in Shopian area of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K)," the statement read.

Several houses in the area were also destroyed and pellet guns and tear gas used against innocent Kashmiri men, women and children who took to the streets to protest against the Indian brutalities.

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The FO said the infliction of such collective punishment to the Kashmiris is tantamount to crimes against humanity.

Censuring India's atrocities, the FO said it was "highly reprehensible" that while the world community is grappling with COVID-19 pandemic, India remains busy "intensifying its brutalisation of the Kashmiri people".

"Extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and cordon-and-search operations by the Indian occupation forces are being perpetrated with complete impunity, under the cover of draconian laws. In further inhuman practices, the occupation forces neither reveal the identities of the martyrs nor hand over their mortal remains to the families for burial," the statement added.

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The “Hindutva” agenda of the RSS-BJP combine is targeting defenceless Kashmiris with mindless violence to break their will, it added.

"India’s efforts to subjugate the Kashmiri people through killings, torture, forced disappearances, incarcerations and brutalisation have failed in the past and will not succeed in the future," the Foreign Office said.

The Kashmiris’ resolve to resist illegal Indian occupation and to secure their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, continues to grow stronger.

"It is the responsibility of the world community to urgently act and protect the Kashmiris from the wanton killings and other brutalities being inflicted on them by the Indian occupation forces. Pakistan will continue to call for holding India accountable for its crimes against the Kashmiri people," it added.